A Trip to the Therapeutic Riding Center of Israel in Tel Mond

Dr. Avia Guttman 
Head of Department, Special Education Department

Recently, the first-year students in Orot Israel College’s special education department (Elkana campus) visited the Therapeutic Riding Center of Israel, a unique therapeutic riding clinic located in Tel Mond. During the course of their visit, the students learned how the state-of-the-art clinic uses horseback riding and works with specially-trained dogs in order to improve their different clients’ physical and motor skills, self-esteem, and self-image.
The clinic boasts a wide range of programs run by experienced and licensed guides. Examples include programs geared for autistic children, children with cerebral palsy, children with special needs, at-risk teens, mentally-disabled adults, students with learning disabilities, traffic accident victims, disabled IDF veterans, recovering drug addicts, the elderly, and many others.
Horseback riding can help stimulate and strengthen various body parts – such as the arms, the legs, the back, the neck, the pelvis, and other muscles that have atrophied due to assorted causes. In addition, horseback riding significantly improves the rider’s self-confidence by allowing him to feel in control. At the Therapeutic Riding Center of Israel, although every client is actually supported by four staff members (mostly volunteers), the client feels that he leads and spurs the horse himself, and thus, he is in control.
Another interesting feature is the clinic’s dog kennel, which is staffed by professional dog trainers, who rely on innovative methods to help their clients. Often, the trainers have been successful in cases where conventional therapies had previously failed. The clients thrive thanks to the warmth, devotion, and unconditional love they receive from the dogs. During our visit, we witnessed a dog’s excitement and happiness when it saw one of the children, and we watched it playfully lick the child’s face and hands.
The Orot Israel College students toured the cutting-edge clinic and its surrounding idyllic open fields. They also enjoyed several instructive lectures delivered by the clinic’s staff members as well as a movie about the Therapeutic Riding Center of Israel. As one of the students noted, “I would really like to get involved and specialize in therapy using animals.”


Room for Hope: A Special Education Seminar

By Dr. Avia Guttman ,
Special Education Department, Elkana Campus

On Wednesday, 10 Adar II 5774 (March 12, 2014), Orot Israel College’s Special Education Department organized a one-day seminar designed to meet the needs of Orot’s special education students and to help prepare them for their chosen careers. The seminar’s primary message was that in spite of the many challenges and difficulties faced by special needs children, there is room for hope. With the support of their families and their special education teachers, these children can develop and progress according to their unique abilities and talents.

Rav Dr. Moshe Rachimi, Orot’s academic dean, greeted the participants, citing the words from Tehilim, "עולם חסד יבנה" (literally, “a world of loving kindness will be built” - Tehilim 89:3), Dr. Rachimi extolled Orot’s special education students who do their field work in schools and preschools and described their important contributions.
Mrs. Tzippy Meshulam of the Lomdim L’Hatzliach “toolbox” company spoke about learning strategies and showed how they can be used to help students with learning disabilities. After introducing her eight books about reading comprehension, written expression, and more, she gave each Orot student a laminated sheet with many of her helpful tips and suggestions. All of her books are available for the students’ use at Orot’s state-of-the-art pedagogic center.

Next, Dr. Michal Schreiber-Divon discussed dating and protection. She said that the Orot students – as future teachers – must be aware of the fact that special needs children also undergo puberty and experience physiological and psychological changes which affect their sexuality. Dr. Schreiber-Divon addressed this issue with a great deal of modesty and discretion. During the course of her talk, she screened a number of related videos, which helped the Orot students gain a better appreciation of this sensitive topic.
Finally, students were treated to a moving, delightful play entitled “An Angel with Down’s Syndrome,” which tells the story of Dekel, a young man with Down’s syndrome, and his brother Ofer. When the performance was over, Dr. Avia Guttman, head of Orot’s special education department, observed, “I saw many students with ‘crying-laughing’ eyes – eyes with both laughter and tears together.” Following the play, Ofer spoke to the audience, and he and Dekel patiently answered the students’ numerous questions.
Special thanks to Orot Israel College’s administration and staff, the various speakers, and of course our dear students for ensuring that the seminar was a huge success.

Sensory-Motor Book Exhibit at Orot Israel College

by Dr. Avia Guttman – Head, Special Education Department, Elkana Campus

This year, the Department of Special Education unveiled a special audio-visual exhibit at Orot Israel College’s Elkana campus. Entitled “What Happens When I Read,” the exhibit presents sensory-motor books for children with special needs. Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College, and Dr. Avia Guttman, head of Orot’s Department of Special Education, cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony and thanked all those who made the exhibit possible.

Dr. Yael Segev, who was the driving force behind the exhibit, explained,

“R’ Nachman says: ‘When a person sees and learns from a book, and everywhere that he sees and looks, he finds himself.’ (Likutei Moharan 141, Torah 121) Special needs children require mediation and a heavier reliance on various senses in order to allow them to understand the story and to identify with its heroes.” 

When a child identifies with the characters in a book, he benefits emotionally and cognitively. However, special needs children are often unable to identify with the characters or even with the story itself. In contrast, the sensory-motor books in this exhibit are creatively designed to tell the story via different sensory channels, thus enabling the child to comprehend the story on his or her own level.

The curators divided the exhibit into four categories: books for children with attention deficit disorders, books for children with sensory modulation disorders, books for children with developmental disabilities, and books for blind and deaf children. Each display case included specific instructions.

For instance, readers were asked to sit on a chair covered with spikes in order to simulate the experiences of a child with ADHD or to enter the “dialogue in the dark” room to simulate the experiences of a blind child. In addition, audio-visual presentations offered explanations of the various disorders.

Many people were involved in making the exhibit possible. Special thanks go to Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College; Mr. Yaniv David, assistant director-general for operations; Mrs. Naama Meyersdorf, director of our pedagogic center; Dr. Yael Segev, an Orot lecturer; and of course, the students, who produced all of the sensory-motor books in the collection.

Orot Israel College Students Attend Prestigious Academic Conference

by Dr. Avia Guttman  

Head, Special Education Department, Orot Israel College

On Monday, 25 Tevet 5773 (January 7, 2013), students from Orot Israel College’s special education department attended an important academic conference at Bar Ilan University in honor of Israel Prize laureate Professor Reuven Feuerstein’s 91^st birthday. Entitled “Cognitive Education, Modifiability, Learning, the Brain, and Everything in Between,” the conference was a joint undertaking of Bar Ilan’s School of Education and the Israel Association for Cognitive Education. After a number of distinguished academics – including Professor Zemira Mevarech, Dean of Bar Ilan’s Faculty of Social Sciences; Israel Prize laureate Professor Penina Klein of Bar Ilan’s School of Education; Professor Hephzibah Lifshitz, President of the Israel Association for Cognitive Education; and others – greeted the conference’s participants, the two keynote speakers took to the podium. Professor David Tzuriel, an internationally-renowned expert on dynamic assessment, spoke about “Mediated Learning and Cognitive Modifiability,” and Professor Moshe Bar, the director of Bar Ilan’s Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, gave a talk entitled “To Learn and to Remember: The Human Brain from Infancy to Old Age.” Next, the participants were invited to choose from an exciting array of simultaneous symposiums, which focused on cognitive education’s real life applications. The symposiums were delivered by lecturers from different Israeli universities. Orot Israel College was represented by Dr. Avia Guttmann, head of our special education department, who chaired a symposium and delivered one of the lectures. Finally, Professor Feuerstein himself took to the stage and delighted the participants with his talk, which was entitled “Structural Cognitive Modifiability and the Brain’s Neuroplasticity.” Professor Feuerstein demonstrated how learning and repetition can even have an effect on the brains of individuals with impaired cognitive functioning. Later, the students thanked Orot’s administration for allowing them to participate in this prestigious conference. In particular, the students enjoyed meeting the world-famous authors of the books and articles they had encountered during the course of their studies at Orot. The students were also grateful that they had been privileged to witness academia at its best and said that they hoped they would have the opportunity to take part in additional conferences and colloquiums.

Project Elkana: A Unique Opportunity for Orot Israel College’s Educational Counseling Students

By Bella Even-Chen – Lecturer and Coordinator, Educational Counseling Deparment, Elkana Campus

A child with a high fever who nevertheless insists on getting out of bed to go… no, not to the doctor, but to school?! Unthinkable? Well, not in Elkana’s local religious public school, where second-year students from Orot Israel College’s educational counseling department run a special program every Thursday.
Think back to your own school days. Did you ever have a chance to take a real look at yourself? To examine your family’s communication skills? To learn creative ways of dealing with complex social challenges? To participate, on a regular basis, in a small discussion group, where a professional listened, guided, responded, and directed?
If not, don’t feel bad! You’re not alone. Most educational systems leave little – if any – time for “trivialities” like these.
But if you’re one of the lucky few who were able to answer in the affirmative, you probably graduated from Elkana’s religious public school during the past six years and participated in this special program. Known as Project Elkana, the program serves as practical fieldwork for the Orot students.
Every week, each student (or pair of students) meets with two groups of six to eight third graders. During the course of the sessions, the Orot students help the children learn about their own personal character traits, their families’ dynamics, and techniques for handling school and social challenges.
In order to ensure the program’s success, the Orot students devote considerable time and effort each week to planning and implementing a wide range of original and exciting activities. For instance, children with special needs or attention deficit disorders play with various friendly pets – such as rabbits, hamsters, parakeets, and others. As a result, the elementary school children look forward to the weekly encounters and welcome the opportunity to talk about their concerns, frustrations, hopes, and dreams.
One of the program’s highlights is the emotional end-of-year party. The elementary school teachers, principal, and guidance counselor praise the talented and dedicated Orot volunteers, and some of the third graders share their experiences. Small gifts are exchanged, and the college and elementary school students promise to keep in touch.
Mrs. Bella Even-Chen, the project’s coordinator, reports that whenever she meets parents of children who were not privileged to participate in the program, they inevitably ask if the program can be expanded to include their kids as well.
Of course, the children are not the only ones who benefit from this unique program, which serves as excellent training for the young women as they embark on their chosen careers.

Special Education Yom Iyun 5771

Dr. Avia Guttman
Head of the Department of Special Education, Elkana Campus

“Olam chessed yibaneh.” (Literally, “a world of loving kindness will be built.” - Tehillim 89:3) This idea is what motivates anyone working with special needs children: whether it is the close, supportive circle of parents, siblings, and other family members - the people who are in contact with the child on a daily basis, during the day and at night, on weekdays and holidays - or the team of professionals, who regularly treat and help the child. Clearly, each of these roles requires considerable physical and emotional strengths.

With these hardworking and dedicated individuals in mind, Orot Israel College’s Department of Special Education hosted a yom iyun about “The Special Needs Child, the Parent, and the Therapist,” on Sunday, 23 Adar I 5771.

The first speaker was Mr. Eli Kellerman, Executive-Director of Simcha LaYeled, who lauded his organization’s volunteers – including many Orot Israel College students - for their valuable contributions. He also screened a movie about Simcha LaYeled’s assorted programs – including summer camps, programs for hospitalized children, Shabbat activities, and much more – and concluded his talk with a call for widening the circle of volunteers. Citing the organization’s motto, he observed that volunteers can help special needs children “replace the pain with happiness.”

Next, Mrs. Orli Azouriel delivered an extremely moving talk entitled “Al Tikri Banayich Ela Bonayich” (“Do Not Read ‘Your Sons’ But ‘Your Builders’” – Based on BT Brachot 64a). She presented the touching story of her son, who suffers from ataxia telangiectasia (AT) – an incurable genetic disorder, which affects the central nervous system in the cerebellum. During the course of her lecture, she shared some of her experiences as the mother of an AT patient. Mrs. Azouriel said that she feels that she herself has changed and developed as a result of her son’s birth.

“Silent Angels: The Time Is Now!” was the topic of the third lecture, delivered by Dr. Meir Lotan. Dr. Lotan, author of “Silent Angels”, is a physiotherapist, lecturer and researcher at Ariel University Center, and a leading expert on Rett syndrome. He discussed the syndrome’s causes, clinical manifestations, and treatments. Intriguingly, Dr. Lotan noted that the Rett syndrome gene has been identified and that he is optimistic that a cure will be discovered within the next decade.

Dr. Lotan’s fascinating lecture was followed by a session about ACI, the Autistic Community of Israel – a community-based independent forum comprised of people who help and support each other. Indeed, ACI is a living manifestation of the pasuk: “Each man shall help his fellow; and to his brother he shall say: be strong.” (Yeshaya 41:6) Mr. Ronen Gil, ACI’s Executive-Director, captivated the audience with his personal story and his descriptions of how he handles social interactions.

Finally, the audience enjoyed “There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Child”, a play directed and produced by Oshi Gross. The play, which is based on Mr. Gross’s own childhood, uses humor to portray some of the challenges faced by a child with learning disabilities and demonstrates how the educational environment can be adapted to meet the child’s needs. Afterwards, the students participated in a lively discussion about learning disabilities.

Thus, the thought-provoking event touched upon many of the issues confronting those working with special needs children. The students walked away with a newfound appreciation for this multifaceted field and were able to expand their knowledge in an interesting and experiential fashion.

Special Education Certification Course for Paramedical Professionals

By Dr. Avia Gutman

Chair, Department of Special Education

Orot Israel College became the first religious college in Israel's history to offer a course in continuing education for professional working in fields related to paramedical therapies.
The program began in October with more than twenty students who hold bachelor's degrees – and some even master's degrees – in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and the creative therapies (art, movement, music, drama, and psychodrama). Successful completion of the course will qualify the participants for a special education teacher's license in the school system.
The course will teach the theoretical principles and practical aspects of special education, in order to help promote the careers of paraprofessional staff already working within the education system. In addition, Orot's religious outlook adds special value to the program by providing a spiritual and religious perspective on special education to complement the therapeutic training.
For example, instructors often insert examples from Tanach and stories from Talmudic sources to illustrate how tradition teaches us to relate to children with special needs.
The continuing education course was designed according to the Ministry of Education requirements in coordination with the ministry's Special Education Division for those seeking to advance their careers in the education system. The course offers the best lecturers in an interdisciplinary approach combining special education with the therapeutic professions. The curriculum includes:
• Therapeutic intervention with children of special needs (learning disabilities, autism, mental retardation, etc.)
• Lesson plans in special education
• Learning environment design
• Working with parents
• Dealing with discipline problems
Students who complete the course will receive a certificate from the Orot Israel College of Education, recognized by the Ministry of Education for credit toward achieving a teacher's license, tenure or career advancement in the educational system.
Orot is extremely proud of this exciting new program, which furthers its mission to train qualified and dedicated educators devoted to the values of Torah and the Land of Israel, ready to develop the next generation of Israel's youth.

A Visit to the Therapeutic Horse Riding Center

First-year students in the Special Education Department (1st year) visited the Therapeutic Horse Riding Center in Tel-Mond during their week of practical work, opening a window to an additional field of treatment for Special Education children. The Israeli Center for therapeutic horse riding implements advanced treatment methods through animal therapy in order to improve patients' physical and motor skills as well as their self-confidence and self-image.
Orot’s students learned about therapeutic horse riding and dog therapy designed to meet the various needs of the patients that are treated in the center. These patients include autistic children, children with cerebral palsy, special education children, populations at risk and in distress, people with mental deficiency, children with learning disabilities, road accident victims, disabled IDF veterans, rehabilitating drug addicts, and the elderly.
Many people with special needs suffer from muscle degeneration. Horse riding improves motion and activation of most of the muscular limbs that are not being used by these patients. In addition, people with various disabilities often find themselves being led instead of leading themselves. Horse riding contributes to patients' self-confidence by giving him a sense of control and independence. Although each patient is accompanied by four instructors during horse riding, he feels that he is the one who is leading the horse and he is ultimately in charge.
In recent years, dog assisted therapy has been accepted as an efficient treatment method. Working with dogs and their trainers helps patients and highly improves their condition. Even when other conventional treatment methods have failed, the warmth, the loyalty and unconditional love that the dogs give patient can have profound effects on their recovery.
Through excellent lectures and a tour of the center’s modern and sophisticated site, students gained new appreciation for the benefits of animal therapy. One student after visiting the center said, "I really would like to specialize and work in animal therapy.”